answered Slicko, "but I
do not care for them as well as for hickory nuts."

"Oh, please show me the acorns," begged Squinty.

"Here they are," spoke Slicko, jumping a little farther, and she pointed
to a pile of acorns in another hollow stump.

"Oh, these are fine! Thank you!" grunted Squinty, and he began to eat
them. All at once there sounded through the woods a noise like:

"Chat! Chat! Chatter! Whir-r-r-r-r-r!" "My, what's that?" cried Squinty,
turning quickly around.

"That is my mamma calling me," said Slicko, the jumping squirrel. "I
shall have to go home to my nest now. Good-by, Squinty. I like you very
much, and I hope I shall soon see you again."

"I hope so, too," spoke Squinty, and while he went on eating the acorns,
Slicko ran along the tree branches to her nest. And in another book I
shall tell you some more stories about "Slicko, the Jumping Squirrel,"
but in this book I have room to write only about Squinty.

The little comical pig was rather lonesome after Slicko had left him,
but he was no longer hungry, thanks to the acorns.

So he walked on and on, and pretty soon he came to a road. And down the
road he saw coming the strangest sight.

There were a lot of big wagons, all painted red and green and gold. Many
horses drew each wagon, the big wheels of which rattled like thunder,
and beside the wagons there were many strange animals walking
along--animals which Squinty had never seen before.

"Oh my!" cried Squinty. "This is worse than the balloon! I must run
away!"

But, just as he turned to run, he saw a little animal jump out of one of
the big wagons, and come toward him. This animal was something like a
little boy, only, instead of clothes, he was covered with hairy fur. And
the animal had a long tail, which Squinty knew no boy ever had.

Squinty was so surprised at seeing the strange animal that the little
pig stood still. The hairy animal, with the long tail, came straight for
the bush behind which Squinty was hiding, and crawled through. Then the
two stood looking at one another, while the big wagons rumbled past on
the road.

"Hello!" Squinty finally exclaimed. "Who are you?"

"Why, I am Mappo, the merry monkey," was the answer, as he curled his
long tail around a stick of wood. "But I don't need to ask who you are.
You are a pig, I can see that, for we have one in our circus, and the
clown rides him around the ring, and it is too funny for anything."

[Illustration: "Why, I am